St. Louis Cathedral
The oldest continuously active Roman Catholic Cathedral in America.
The Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France (more commonly known as the St. Louis Cathedral) is one of New Orleans' most notable landmarks. The city is instantly recognized by the cathedral and its position in the French Quarter overlooking Jackson Square. The current cathedral is actually the fourth built upon its current location.
History
The first church on the site was a crude wooden structure built in 1718 by the French colonists when the city was founded.
Construction of a larger permanent structure made of brink and timber started in 1725 and was completed two years later in 1727. This church burned to the ground in the Great New Orleans Fire on Good Friday in 1788.
The third iteration of the St. Louis Cathedral was started in 1789 and eventually completed in 1794. In 1819 a central tower was added which featured a clock and bell.
Eventually in 1849 the church decided they needed to enlarge to meet the needs of the growning congregation. During the construction in 1850 the central tower collapsed. Due to the the construction problems very little of the third church's structure survived so most of the fourth (and present) structure dates back to 1850. The current sturcture has had many additions and improvements over the years and also incorporated elemets from the earlier churches
The Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the United States.
Hauntings & Lore
The most commonly reported ghosts that haunt the St. Louis Cathedral are a couple of former pastors.
The most famous is Père Antoine who came to New Orleans in 1774 as an official of the Spanish Inquisition. He eventually became a pastor and served until his death in 1829. He was buried in the church three days later.
The other pastor that haunts the St. Louis Cathedral is Père Dagobert, who came to New Orleans from Quebec in 1922 then later became Pastor of St. Louis Cathedral in 1745.
Location
615 Pere Antoine Alley
New Orleans, Louisiana 70116
United States
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Sources
- Our History
St. Louis Cathedral
- St. Louis Cathedral (New Orleans)
Wikipedia